【Basic Introduction to Huang Lian】
Huang Lian (Coptis chinensis) clears heat and dries dampness, drains fire and detoxifies. It has pharmacological effects such as antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, and lipid-lowering properties.
Huang Lian is also known as Wei Lian, Chuan Lian, Ji Zhua Lian, Wang Lian, Yun Lian, and Ya Lian. It is the dried rhizome of the Ranunculaceae family plants Huang Lian, San Jiao Ye Huang Lian, or Yun Lian. The three types are commonly referred to as “Wei Lian,” “Ya Lian,” and “Yun Lian.” They are harvested in autumn, with the fibrous roots and soil removed, dried, and the remaining fibrous roots knocked off.
Processing Method Introduction:Fresh Huang Lian should not be washed with water. It is generally dried by steaming or baking. When it bends at a certain point, it should be placed in a bamboo basket to knock off the attached soil, fibrous roots, and residual leaf stems to obtain the finished product.
Another method involves building a simple earthen pit near the Huang Lian field, with bamboo rods laid across it to allow soil to fall through while preventing Huang Lian from falling. The whole plant of Huang Lian is spread on a drying bed, turned over while drying to remove some fibrous roots, leaves, and soil, reducing moisture, and then transported indoors for fire drying until the skin is dry and the heart is moist, and the fibrous roots and leaves are dry and charred before being taken out, screened, and cleaned of fibrous roots, leaves, and impurities until fully dry, then packed into bamboo baskets, knocking off fibrous roots and soil, and cutting off remaining stems and excessively long “bridges” to obtain the finished product.
Some are collected and shaken to remove soil, cutting off stems, leaves, and fibrous roots, spread on a mat to dry in the sun or dried with fire to become Mao Lian. The dried Mao Lian is placed in a knocking basket to remove fibrous roots and soil. Alternatively, a 1.5-meter-long burlap sack can be used, filled with Huang Lian and gravel, and two people can knock it back and forth to clean off the fibrous roots, resulting in clean Lian.
【Identification of Characteristics】
Wei Lian: Often clustered, usually bent, resembling chicken claws, with single stem rhizomes 3-6 cm long and 0.3-0.8 cm in diameter. The surface is grayish-yellow or yellow-brown, rough, with irregular nodular protrusions, fibrous roots, and remnants of fibrous roots. Some nodes have smooth surfaces like stems, commonly referred to as “bridges.” The upper part often retains brown scale leaves, and the tip usually has remnants of stems or leaf stalks. It is hard, with an uneven cross-section, the skin is orange-red or dark brown, and the wood part is bright yellow or orange-yellow, arranged radially, with some hollow pith. It has a faint aroma and is extremely bitter.
Ya Lian: Mostly single-stemmed, slightly cylindrical, slightly bent, 4-8 cm long, and 0.5-1 cm in diameter. The “bridge” is relatively long. The tip has a small amount of residual stem.
Yun Lian: Curved and hook-shaped, mostly single-stemmed, and relatively small.
【Growth Distribution】
Mainly produced in Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan, Hubei, and southern Shaanxi.
【Nature and Taste】
Cold in nature, bitter in taste; enters the Heart, Spleen, Stomach, Liver, Gallbladder, and Large Intestine meridians.
【Medicinal Efficacy】
Clears heat and dries dampness, drains fire and detoxifies. Used for damp-heat fullness, vomiting with sour regurgitation, diarrhea, jaundice, high fever with delirium, excessive heart fire, irritability and insomnia, blood heat with vomiting and nosebleeds, red eyes, toothache, thirst, and carbuncles; externally used for eczema, damp sores, and ear discharge. Jiu Huang Lian is good for clearing heat in the upper jiao. Used for red eyes and oral ulcers. Jiang Huang Lian clears the stomach and stops vomiting. Used for cold-heat counterflow, damp-heat obstruction, fullness and vomiting. Yu Huang Lian soothes the liver and stomach and stops vomiting. Used for liver-stomach disharmony, vomiting with sour regurgitation.
【Precautions】
Extremely bitter and cold, prolonged use can easily harm the Spleen and Stomach; those with Spleen and Stomach deficiency and cold should avoid use. Bitter and dry can injure fluids; those with Yin deficiency and fluid injury should use with caution.
【Preparation Explanation】
1. Slicing
Clean and remove impurities. After moistening, slice thinly, dry, or crush when needed.
2. Wine Processing
Take clean Huang Lian, mix with wine, steam until fully absorbed, then dry in a pot over low heat. For every 100 kg of Huang Lian, use 12.5 kg of yellow wine.
Wine-processed Huang Lian can guide the herb upward, alleviating its cold nature, and is good for clearing fire from the head and eyes, such as in the treatment of red, swollen eyes and oral ulcers with Huang Lian Tian Hua Fen pills.
3. Ginger Processing
Take clean Huang Lian, mix with ginger juice, and dry in a pot over low heat. For every 100 kg of Huang Lian, use 12.5 kg of fresh ginger.
Ginger-processed Huang Lian mitigates its excessive bitterness and coldness, enhancing its anti-vomiting effect, primarily used for treating stomach heat and vomiting.
4. Wu Yao Processing
Take Wu Yao and boil with an appropriate amount of water, mix the decoction with clean Huang Lian, dry until the liquid is absorbed. For every 100 kg of Huang Lian, use 10 kg of Wu Yao.
Wu Yao-processed Huang Lian suppresses its bitter and cold nature, allowing Huang Lian to clear damp-heat without stagnation, primarily used for treating liver and gallbladder damp-heat obstruction, acid regurgitation; treating internal stagnation, damp-heat accumulation, chest fullness, diarrhea, or dysentery.
5. Stir-frying
Take Huang Lian and place it in a hot pan, stir-fry until it turns a deep yellow.
6. Carbonization
Take Huang Lian and stir-fry over high heat until the outside turns black, then spray with water to extinguish the flames and dry.
7. Vinegar Processing
Take Huang Lian, soak in water, slice, or mix whole with vinegar until the vinegar penetrates, then dry and lightly stir-fry. For every 500 g of Huang Lian, use 93 g of vinegar.
8. Salt Processing
Take Huang Lian, moisten with salt water, stir-fry until slightly darker, then cool. For every 500 g of Huang Lian, use 6 g of salt and an appropriate amount of water. Alternatively, stir-fry Huang Lian until slightly discolored, then spray with salt water. For every 500 g of Huang Lian, use 15 g of salt and an appropriate amount of water.
9. Bile Processing
Take pig bile, chop it, extract the juice, and mix with Huang Lian slices to stir-fry until done. For every 500 g of Huang Lian, use 5 pig gallbladders.
【Folk Remedies】
Treating Foot Dampness
10 grams of Huang Lian, soaked in 250 milliliters of boiling water, cooled for later use. Clean the affected foot and apply the medicinal liquid with a disinfected cotton swab, once in the morning and once in the evening. If there is severe itching, the medicinal liquid can be used to wash, but do not scratch with fingers. During treatment, keep the affected area clean and dry, avoid wearing rubber shoes, and wear cloth-soled shoes instead. Treatment duration is 5-11 days.
Source: “Hubei Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine”, 1988, (2): 56
Regulating Yin Deficiency with Excessive Fire Type Insomnia
1 gram of Huang Lian, 5 grams of He Huan Hua (Mimosa flower), 5 grams of Ye Jiao Teng (Polygala vine), and 3 grams of Yu Jin (Curcuma). Decoction and take before sleep.